Sharing Your Voice at the Table

You are a black woman in the tech industry and a black CEO in the tech industry. We’ve heard so much about the lack of diversity in tech, what are some of the challenges you have faced as you were climbing up the ladder, and perhaps even now, related to gender or race? And how have you dealt with them?

I think probably the biggest challenge is the lack of numbers. I think everyone in every situation knows what it’s like to be with, you know, to sort of have a strong sense of belonging and recognition, and to not have that. And I think while it’s possible to have belonging in a group of people who are not black and who are not female, I think it often requires more work and more understanding by everyone.

But certainly, being in that position again and again, I think it’s made me very mindful of executives who we hire, now and in the past, who are going to be the first on a team, the only at a table because there is a disproportionate burden for that person, whether it’s representation in that room of all the people who didn’t come before them and who hopefully will come with them and after them. Or sort of gaining credibility, gaining a seat at the table that’s equal and being listened to and valued the same way.

And so, for me, it’s just been really important. I’d say one of my superpowers is I am comfortable speaking up. I think it can be very risky. I think it also has a lot of reward. And I remember very early in my career, one of my colleagues said to me that one of our colleagues said to him, “I don’t understand. She says all these things and if I said those things, I really don’t think I would have a job.”

He said, “But it seems like it works for her.” And I remember thinking, I think he would have a job, I definitely think he would have a job if he said the things. But really what I took away from what he was saying is it just takes a lot of courage and comfort that it may not go your way, it may not go your way. And you can’t control that.